As Kevin White walked slowly to the locker room Sunday flanked by medical personnel, the Bears' deep sense of dread was exacerbated by the unmistakable deja vu.

Kevin White. Injured. Again.

This time it's the receiver's left shoulder blade, fractured during a tackle on a fourth-quarter catch for no gain.

New body part, similar disappointment and even more doubts about whether the former No. 7 draft pick will ever contribute for the Bears.

Coach John Fox announced the injury Monday afternoon. White will be put on injured reserve for the third time in his three NFL seasons. He might require surgery. He might return this season.

Meanwhile, two things are certain. The Bears can't count on him for at least the foreseeable future. And their undermanned receiving corps, depleted last month by Cameron Meredith's season-ending knee injury, is even more short-handed.

"My heart goes out to him," Fox said. "He was very disappointed and discouraged in the locker room after the game, for obvious reasons."

Both amount to uncertainty about what the receiver group will contribute to the offense. The four wideouts combined Sunday for nine catches for 82 yards, including White's two catches for 6 yards.

The search for White's replacement begins immediately. It's important to note White was the Bears' "X" receiver, or split end.

Markus Wheaton occasionally practiced as the X during brief stints of availability surrounding his late July appendectomy and his recovery from mid-August surgery to repair a broken left pinkie. The veteran free-agent signee could make his Bears debut Sunday against the Buccaneers.

Brad Biggs and Dan Wiederer break down the Bears' Week 1 loss to the Falcons on Sept. 10, 2017.

Brad Biggs and Dan Wiederer break down the Bears' Week 1 loss to the Falcons on Sept. 10, 2017.

The Bears acquired receiver Tre McBride off waivers Sept. 3 after the injury to Meredith, who was the "Z" receiver, or flanker. McBride was inactive Sunday, having spent last week trying to learn the offense.

Undrafted rookie Tanner Gentry, who played some X and mostly Z in the preseason, is on the practice squad. Titus Davis, whom the Bears cut earlier this month, was a backup X during the preseason. Josh Bellamy and Deonte Thompson are already on the roster filling in.

As for White, the Bears will put him on IR this week to open a roster spot with the understanding that recovery from a fractured shoulder blade generally requires at least two months.

By rule, White would have to spend six weeks on IR before the Bears could designate him to return. He would have to spend a total of eight weeks on IR before he could return to game action.

White tweeted: "I ask why me, but I know God has a plan much bigger than what I want. Im thankful for everyone that's supporting me"

Regardless of whether White plays again this season, the Bears have no financial incentive to give up on him. The four-year, $16.6 million rookie contract he signed in 2015 is fully guaranteed.

Expecting him ever to contribute at the level expected of a No. 7 pick is speculative at best. But as recently as Wednesday, general manager Ryan Pace again expressed faith in White's character and physical ability to be the explosive downfield threat they believe they drafted.

Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Falcons was only the fifth game of White's career. He missed his entire rookie season because of a stress fracture in his left tibia, which required surgery in August 2015.

Last year, he played four games before an awkward tackle caused a spiral fracture in his left fibula and severe ligament damage in his ankle. He had surgery and missed the rest of the season.

He left Sunday's game with 9 minutes, 30 seconds remaining. He caught Mike Glennon's pass with his back to the defense. As he turned to run upfield, Falcons cornerback Brian Poole lowered his shoulder into White's left shoulder at full speed.

White kept his feet but was tackled from behind a moment later when rookie defensive end Takkarist McKinley slammed into White's left side.

White has played in five of the Bears' 33 games since he was drafted. His career numbers: 21 catches for 193 yards. Maybe the most heart-sinking number: zero touchdowns. And the doubt about whether he'll ever catch one is only getting louder.